SHISH UP AND SHISH DOWN

Graham Buddry charts the roller-coaster career of Hendo's enigmatic star

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It was always an impossible double act to follow. Nicky Henderson first had the incomparable Sprinter Sacre and then the incredibly brilliant Altior before declaring Shishkin as their natural successor and just as good.

Shishkin didn’t quite match the heights of his former stable companions but he built a huge fan base of admirers of his own before what should have been his crowning glory, which was ultimately snatched away from him.

In the original care of Virginia Considine, Shishkin ran in two three mile Irish point-to-points, learning what to do in the first before easily winning the second. It wasn’t long afterwards that Shishkin was sold to race in England under the care of Nicky Henderson. Here he ran away with a “bumper” at Kempton before facing hurdles for the first time. Odds on favourite in a twenty runner field his scintillating home work counted for nothing as he tipped up at only the second obstacle but as only the very best do, Shishkin learned from this and thereafter jumped superbly and never fell again.

Shishkin would run only three more times over hurdles, culminating in the Supreme Novice Hurdle at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival. The first two were contemptuously easy victories for the bay gelding by eleven lengths on both occasions. At Presbury Park Nico De Boinville, his regular jockey at Henderson’s, had to use all his skill, experience and guile during an exceptionally tough passage through the race. Having already been badly baulked, almost brought down and hampered, Shishkin had already seen off the latest Mullins favourite together with future stars such as Edwardstone, Captain Guinness and Chantry House to leave only the Gordon Elliott trained second favourite, Abacadabras, to catch as they took the last flight. Shishkin had the speed and ability to wear down his rival, catching him half way up the run in and putting his nose in front to win by a head at the line.